Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

KEYS TO PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT

Have you had a prophetic word either through a Prophet, dream, vision, or even an inspiration that has been put on your heart for your life? Perhaps you are frustrated because you have this desire and do not know how to work toward the fulfillment of that prophetic word or dream in your heart. I hope this helps you as I lay out some very practical steps to help you in your walk with God. This is a walk of endurance and patience to obtain the promise. That is part of the plan of God because although the promise is important it is the process that the Lord delights in.

2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

PROCESS IS KEY: How we process that prophetic word and cooperate with the Holy Spirit to bring it to pass is crucial to its fulfillment in our lives. Prophesy is no guarantee that you will ever walk in the fulfillment of it. However, through God's grace, there is always a way back through repentance when you have missed it. God is a God of second chances and though in this process you may fail and stumble many times, as long as you remain in the race, it is not finished.

In Genesis 37 we learn of a man named Joseph. His life is a great example of enduring the process and reaching prophetic fulfillment. I encourage you to read it and learn from his life. Joseph received 2 dreams at the age of 17, showing him that his brothers would bow down to him. Joseph shared those dreams with his brothers, who decided to get rid of him. Joseph suffered many mistakes and heartaches because of sharing his dreams with his brothers. His process to prophetic fulfillment took 13 years from the time his brothers sold him into slavery to seeing the fulfillment of that promise. There are no shortcuts in the process. The process is working in you a much greater glory.

Joseph never saw what he would have to endure to reach the fulfillment of those dreams. Had he seen the process he surely would have abandoned it. The dreams given to Joseph set him on a course to mature him through the process of becoming a humble servant to his God, prepared through his trials to have a heart of compassion for those who needed deliverance. Joseph did not grow hard through his trials but was pliable in the hands of God. Joseph, through his sufferings, became compassionate; and when faced with his family who betrayed him, there was only love and the desire to help them in their need.

Joseph was being set up for greatness. God had a major call on his life to deliver a nation in a time of famine. What is your prophetic word? What has God laid upon your heart? You have a part to play in the fulfillment of that prophesy, that dream, that desire, that was planted in you through the Holy Spirit. It is meant to propel you forward and give you the capacity to endure the hardship, the patience, and the endurance you will need to walk in that promise.

It is never about YOU! It is about God using you to deliver a people, to feed his people. But, in order to do that he must work in YOU to remove YOU so your heart sees who you are called to help, otherwise, it is only about YOU and eventually, you will miss the call of God on your life and will not fulfill your purpose.

When we hear a prophetic word over our life naturally we feel the love of a Father for his child and the destiny he desires to have for you. We are usually not yet mature enough to walk that out. God has to shape you to prepare you to hold that promise without it corrupting YOU. Again, it is not about YOU, it is about God's people and he wants to use YOU to bring deliverance to his people. When your heart breaks for the plight of those people and you are moved with compassion toward those people you are well on your way to prophetic fulfillment. Chances are it will not look as glamorous as you felt when it was released to you. Nonetheless, your life will have significance and meaning and the end result will be lives touched and changed by the power of God through your life.

God is giving you an invitation to have a life filled with purpose and promise and he needs your YES to cooperate with that process. We all have a choice and we can say no to God. Katheryn Kuhlman led of life of significance and saw many miracles by being a willing vessel in the hands of God. It is said that God offered that to 3 different men who all refused the call, but she said yes. The power she walked in came from her laid-down life, fully consecrated to the plan of God and it cost her everything. It is estimated that 2 million people reported that they were healed in her meetings over the years.

Do you have a desire to be used by God? Then it will cost you everything! You will be forged in the FIRE so that what comes out will be pure GOLD, fit for the Master's use.

Every blemish, every attitude that stands between you and the fulfillment of that promise will be challenged.

Every word spoken is YES and AMEN in Christ Jesus! He will fulfill every promise that he made through that prophetic word, dream, vision, or however it comes; but you must cooperate with the process so that you are qualified to walk in the fulfillment of that dream.

The need for understanding prophetic fulfillment is crucial to our success in walking it out. Most people don't understand the process that will be required and grow frustrated and quit. It is a walk of FAITH. Listed below are some very practical steps you can take to begin that walk of FAITH. Everyone's process will look different but the foundational keys are the same. The need for good leadership in your life to help navigate the process is crucial. Your submission to that leadership will determine your success or failure.

PROPHETIC PROCESS:

• The Word Released. The Prophetic Word is released through a Prophet, the gift of Prophesy, dreams, visions, or inspiration by the Holy Spirit upon your heart through times of prayer.

• Say YES! God needs your YES. He will invite you into this process of fulfillment but he needs your cooperation with the Holy Spirit so that you are prepared to hold that word.

• Simple Devotion - Your gradual process is a day-to-day process of dying to yourself and walking out the call. Simple Devotion of commitment to learning the word of God and developing intimacy with God through prayer will be one of the most important steps toward prophetic fulfillment.

• Serve - Look for a place to serve. Serving others takes you out of yourself and will do more to develop humility in your life. Becoming a servant is always the first step before being a leader. If you are not willing to serve you will never qualify as a leader. God's Kingdom works upside down to the world. The way up in God's Kingdom is the way down. Through servanthood, your heart will be developed toward people, and compassion forged in your heart. You must deny yourself daily in serving others. Mark 10:42–45 (NLT) “So Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

• Submit to Authority - People of promise must learn to submit to those that God has connected them to who can through wisdom, guide and lead them to prophetic fulfillment. Your submission to that process is KEY and requires much humility to admit you need HELP in getting through this process. They will challenge you and your commitment to them will be your biggest development in your process.
  
  “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭7‬ ‭ 
  
  “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭17‬

You can't skip these steps. You can't shortcut this process. You don't get a pass from this process. You will be required to go through this process in order to be ready for what God wants to do in and through you.

Learning to fully submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life will help you face the adversity that helps to develop your endurance. There must be a determination developed in you not to quit but to press through because that fulfillment is waiting on the other side.

2 Peter 1:3-9 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.  Psalm 27:13:14

I awoke this morning with the promises of God stirring in my heart.  God is so faithful that prior to this darkness we see in our land right now he began revealing His plan of blessing all along.  Why? Because God has something to say to His people and he wrote the narrative before this nation was hit with a narrative of death and destruction. God, this morning, reminded me of what His intent is for us His people.  

This nation was blind-sighted.  We have been in a whirlwind and fear is trying to take hold of people's hearts.  We have focused on all the negative reports of this COVID-19.  We are seeing neighbor turn on neighbor, fear is running rampant, people are losing their jobs, Government is shutting down everything and people are dying.  The projections are not good.  "If we don't shut everything down we will lose thousands more people, if we open our country back up this will spread like wild fire, if we don't get our nation open again we will destroy our economy".  What do you believe? Whose report do you believe? That is what stirred in my heart this morning.  Prior to this we began to hear the heart of the Lord for us while studying a book called "What are Abraham's Blessings Anyway?.  God began to reveal to us His heart of blessing for His people through the covenant that he established with Abraham.  God was beginning to lay out His narrative right before we were hit with this destruction in our nation.  I am now finding myself reflecting back to that narrative because it is time to silence the voice of death and destruction and hear the heart of God.  

What are the blessings of Abraham? Glad you asked...there are actually 60 promises that were given to Abraham.  The promises of Abraham were given to Abraham and His seed.  We are the seed of Abraham.  The blood of Jesus qualified us to be partakers of that covenant.  In Genesis 12, God said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed".  In Genesis 15, we see where God told Abram "Look now toward the heaven, and count the stars if your are able to number them".  And he said to him, "So shall you descendants be." The blessing (which means well-being in every area of life) is a covenant that God made with Abram and his seed.  

In a time in our nation when we are seeing fear trying to direct the narrative in our nation we need to feed on the promises of God as WE his people.  The covenant that we qualify for through the blood of Jesus.  If you are born again and have received Jesus as your savior these promises are for YOU.  

There are a total of sixty promises that cover seven areas of blessing.  

1.  God endues with power for an abundant life. 
2.  He endues with power for an effective life.
3.  Since life can be neither effective nor abundant apart from the right relationship with God, we may say that God also endues with power for the salvation of the soul
4.  He endues with power for success.
5.  He endues with power for prosperity.
6.  He endues with power for fecundity (actually means fertility)
7.  He endues with power for longevity (health)

These are promises we have from OUR GOD.  Seems to me that is the exact opposite what we are hearing now.  So today, I speak over you the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich and adds no sorrow it..Proverbs 10:22.

"The Lord bless you and keep you;  The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace"...Number 6:24-26.  

Let's change the narrative and begin to speak the promises and blessings of God over ourselves and our families. Let's break this narrative of death and destruction over our land and speak the promises of God and watch things begin to change.  

I would like to say that I hit the year running full of anticipation for the year ahead and the possibilities that lay before me.  Instead, I found myself in a downward spiral.  Like many of you, I am sure 2019 was filled with many challenges.   Many negative things pulled at my attention throughout the year and I found myself feeling 2020 held no promise of anything more than a repeat of what I experienced in 2019.  So, instead of setting my sites on the possibilities of a new start I set my sites on thinking this year would be no different.  My 2020 is yet written...my words will begin to shape the story of my life this year.  

In December the Lord began laying upon my heart II Chronicles 20:20 -  Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.   I knew then that my declarations going into 2020 would be very important for me.  Today as I am pondering this new year ahead of me...I began to realize that I could at this moment shape the way 2020 would begin.  This is the year of the decree.  In the Hebraic calendar, this is the year 5780...80 means mouth. Moses was 80 when God had a conversation with him and said "Moses, I am going to anoint your mouth and you are going to set my nation free". This year what WE say we shall see.

        Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.   Job 22:28

Today, I began deciding I was going to shape this year through my mouth and I began to decree things differently.  This year, I will see my children and grandchildren walking in their God-ordained destiny, this year I believe for divine healing in my body, this year I will prosper, this year I will walk in all that God has for me, this year I will see my relationships change.  As I began to do this I began pulling myself up from that pit of despair I was trying to crawl into and I suddenly began to feel passion again knowing I was going to step into the best year of my life simply because MY words would make the difference

    Open your mouth with a mighty decree - I will fulfill it now you see.  The words that you speak so shall it be.  Psalm 81:10 TPT.

I want to encourage you to open your mouth and begin to decree somethings in your life and watch God begin to move on your behalf.  Now we realize if our words are powerful than what we say in the negative can impact our lives as well.  This year we need to really guard our mouths.  God has spoken so much over our lives and it is important to remember those prophetic words over your life because God gave you an invitation to partner with him and begin to decree what was spoken over you.  Join me as I posture myself this year to see every area in my life change by the power of my decree.

1.  I am truly blessed with a fruitful life.

2.  I am created for blessing, and as a result, I am overtaken by blessings in every area of my life. 

3.  Everything I put my hand to in 2020 will prosper.  

4.  I am blessed...my family is blessed

5.  Favor surrounds me like a shield.  It covers and protects me from fear and rejection. 

6.  Because of favor in my life, doors of opportunity are opened to me easily. 

7.  2020 will be a year of greater clarity in vision and purpose.  2020 I will walk in all that God has ordained for me to walk in. 

8.  I am blessed beyond measure with wonderful life-giving friends in my life.  This year I will grow in greater fellowship
     with my friends and family.  

9.  2020 I will walk in the way of wisdom, and therefore I speak from wisdom.  My mouth will speak truth in righteousness.

10.  I am blessed this year with a bright future that is full of hope and joyful expectation.

11.  I declare Exodus 23:26 - Not one my children shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in my land

I challenge you to write out your own decrees and get very specific about what you want to see this year and each day begin to speak that out and begin to shape your new year into the life you desire.  Let's make 2020 the best year yet!

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
and in His Temple everyone says, Glory!
Psalm 20 - 3-9

Do you find yourself in a place of wandering and not really sure which direction to take? The voice of Lord is powerful.  When God speaks to you, His word carries within it the power and the anointing you need to act on that word.  However, for you to receive that anointing you must hear and respond to the voice of the Lord. 

Prophesy is a powerful tool in our life...it is the voice of the Lord being declared through someone that has the ability to set things in motion in your life that has become stagnant.  We need to hear the voice of the Lord...it breaks things in our life that have kept us from advancing.  The voice of God can be heard and it is vital that we take the time to hear the voice of God in our life. That requires spending time with Hiim and listening for His voice.  It is not hard to hear the voice of God...it is hard for us to shut off the other voices in our life that are speaking to us very loudly.  Distractions that we allow on a daily basis keep us in a frenzy of activity and out of the presence of God.  We need that still, small voice in our life speaking LOUD and CLEAR.  

When we take the time to hear His voice, things begin to move in our life.  An anointing comes that helps us to take that word and begin advancing.  The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh (vs. 8-9).  The wilderness is a dry place and is the place where the children of Israel camped out this side of the Jordan River.  They wandered in that place because they could not advance.  It is also the place that Moses sent out spies into the land of promise and they gave an evil report which kept the children of Israel in a place of fear and they were not able to advance.  We can clearly hear the voice of the Lord through Joshua and Caleb as they proclaimed..."we are well able to take the land"!  

When the voice of the Lord comes it comes to bring us out of where we are at and get us moving toward his promise.  It will shake things loose that have been keeping you bound.  The voice of the Lord is full of majesty and is powerful.  

I encourage you if you are finding yourself in a place of not being able to hear from God...remove the distractions.  Sit quietly before him and learn to exercise hearing his voice.  He is speaking the problem is we are not listening.  

Who then ascends into the presence of the Lord?  And who has the privilege of entering into God's Holy Place? Those who are clean...whose works and ways are pure; Whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth; They will receive the Lord's blessing and righteousness given by the Savior-God.  They will stand before God. For they seek the pleasure of God's face, the God of Jacob. So wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you ageless doors of destiny! Welcome the King of Glory, for He is about to come through you!   Psalm 24:3-7

I love revival! My heart was awakened in revival and it is impossible to separate me from revival.  I hunger for it, I search for it, but I have been missing one key component to seeing revival...ME!  We love to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 -  If my people, who are called my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, turn from the wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.  All the time we are quoting this we are pointing to the church and saying we are not ready because the church isn't praying enough, or the church won't humble itself, or we are too divided.  Nowhere do I see where it takes the WHOLE church for God to answer this prayer.  There is a key found in 2 Chronicles 7:12 - Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard YOUR prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.  Solomon built a house of sacrifice...a place for the Glory of God to dwell.  His heart was after the heart of God and he wanted a dwelling place for God's presence.  He made the necessary preparations, invested in building this temple so God had a house to dwell in.  That is a type and shadow of our lives.  God is looking for "living sacrifices".

Romans 12:1 - "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service".

What does a living sacrifice look like? We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world.  The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Becoming a Christian does not mean you have become a living sacrifice.  Jesus told us in Matthew 16:24 that whoever wants to be HIS disciple must deny himself and take up their cross and follow him.  Today we get sick and assume we are taking up our cross and following Him.  We think the successful career we have or how much we have given to charities is somehow what pleases God.  That the things we DO define who we are instead of WHOSE we are.  Each new day requires new surrender and consecration.  What you surrendered to God yesterday is already old.  Today is a new day and demands a new and higher level of consecration.  What do you desire? What do you spend your time doing? In your life does your career direct your destiny or does God?   These are good questions to ask ourselves.  Becoming a living sacrifice does not mean you give up your favorite TV program that week. God is looking for a heart that is fully His.  For a people who are totally consecrated to His plan for their life.  That is the heart that God is after and a life that he will consume with His fire.  

You can live your life in success and touch many lives and think you have lived for God, die and go to Hell because you never knew Him.  The pride of life is any ambition that puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own lives.  God is looking for those who have become that living sacrifice that He can completely consume.  

When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple...2 Chronicles 7:1 

Solomon became that living sacrifice when he consecrated himself and became that living sacrifice that prepared a way for God's Glory to come.  His life became that act of worship where he devoted everything in his life to prepare a place for God's presence to dwell.  We wonder why revival does not come to our lives, to our churches, to our regions.  We wonder why our prayer for God to heal our land falls on deaf ears.  We have a promise and God is looking for those who are His.  God is looking for those living sacrifices that His presence can dwell.  

2 Chronicles 7:14 begins with "If my people".  Who is he talking about? Not the whole church...those whom he KNOWS.  We have churches full of people who call themselves Christian but have not laid their lives down as a living sacrifice...where the only thing they desire is HIS heart. Those who pray from a place of having laid their life down and became that living sacrifice with whom he can show himself strong.  Then when judgment comes upon the land...it is HIS people who have humbled themselves and became that living sacrifice where HE can dwell that HE will HEAR when they pray and the promise is He will heal their land.   

God does not measure your life by your success...he measures it by your obedience to what He called you to do.  Matthew 7:21-23 says "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  

Jesus, our High Priest, is our example of a life laid down to the Father's will.  Jesus only did what he saw His Father do.  Jesus took 12 men and they turned the world upside down.  It does not take ALL who call themselves  Christians for God to turn the world upside down...he only needs a few who have laid their life down totally to His plan and His purpose and become those living sacrifices with whom His Glory can come through!

You have built a stronghold by the songs of babies.  Strength rises up with the chorus of singing children.  This kind of praise has the power to shut Satan's mouth.  Child-like worship will silence the madness of those who oppose you...
Psalm 8-2  (Passion Translation)

Today this verse stirred my heart.  Have you ever watched a child worship the Lord? How open they are to worshipping the Lord without the slightest knowledge of correct doctrine or theological understanding.  Yet, the Lord builds a stronghold by their songs.  Babes in this verse is the Greek word for immature Christian.  We are not simply referring to children or babies although they are an example for us of how to receive from the Lord and to worship the Lord.  Worship is showing reverence and adoration, to honor something or someone.  

Yea, have you never read out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise...Matthew 21:16

It took childlike faith for you to be born-again.  That simple step of faith where you responded to the pulling of your heart and freely without reservation surrendered your life to the Lord.  You made him lord of your life.  Without any knowledge of correct theology, you simply surrendered your heart.  That humbleness of heart where you simply acknowledge who the Lord is in your life and worship from a pure heart will silence the voice of the enemy in your life.   

I remember as a child thinking my Father was the strongest man alive.  I knew in his presence that I was safe and nothing would ever happen to me because my Dad was there.  It is that type of child-like trust that we need...that awe when we know that our life is nothing without Him.  When we completely take our focus off everything else and put our focus on Him then everything pales in comparison.  

I remember as a child lying on the grass looking up at the stars and dreaming.  The vastness of the sky and all its wonder.  I would lie there and dream with God.  Why do we lose that place of awe and wonder at his excellence?  Why do we get so lost in our cares and troubles that we no longer look to our Father and gaze upon his beauty?  

It does not matter how much theology you know or how much knowledge you have gained in life...never lose that child-like faith that the King of the universe is your Father who loves you enough to send his son to die on the cross for you so that you can have and experience real LIFE.  Dance before him, sing before him, laugh before him...in his presence truly LIVE!  

Lord, Your name is so great and powerful!  People everywhere see Your splendor. Your glorious majesty streams from the heavens filling the earth with the fame of your name!  Psalm 8:1

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.  He shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.  Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him...Psalm 92:12-15

Last Friday as Dan left to do a job I sat in my chair reading my bible and meditating upon this scripture.  I had been learning about the Palm tree and the cedars of Lebanon.  Not knowing in a very short while I would receive a phone call to hear Dan had been in an accident.  Standing in that ER listening to a Sheriff tell me that my husband should not have made it through that alive is something that should have shaken me, but something in me stood strong and I did not waver in knowing that day God had protected us and will continue to protect us.  

Now today,  5 days later I open my bible again to this scripture and to my notes that morning regarding palm trees.  Why does the bible talk about a Christian in relationship to a palm tree?  I have seen many storms in my life that have shaken me.  It does something to you when you experience a lot of storms and little peace.  When your life is continually shaken with trial after trial.  There is a promise, however, that when you are planted in the house of the Lord you will flourish in the courts of our God.  Establishing yourself and putting down roots in a local body is a stabilizing force.  In our day in age, however, it is very difficult for people to do because we have become a people who hide...we hide from our own shame.  If we hide and keep ourselves away from people they can't see our weaknesses or our "issues".  I have come to find out, however, that walking through those things with others is what heals us and allows us to come out of the shadows and trust again.  

God promises our lives will become like a palm tree.  Let's take a look at what a palm tree represents in our life.  My name, Tammy, actually means "'palm tree".  Every time my name is said it represents to me who I really am.  Here are some characteristics of a palm tree.

• The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life.  Palm trees bend easily in the wind and the storms.  Roots can fare well in both very wet and dry soils.  
• Uprightness - Palm trees rise straight toward heaven, it stands upright among the trees.  Have you ever noticed what happens to you when the storms of life are beating at you...you stoop.  The weight of that begins to affect even your posture.  Like palm trees planted firmly we won't bend and bow earthward but we will stand erect and move in one heavenward direction.  We will be governed by truth and abiding principles. 
• Fruitfulness - We will bear fruit that is remarkably nutritious.  The date will sustain life for a long time, without any other kind of food.  Like the righteous man he is expected to bear much fruit, and fruit of many kinds: excellency of spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, consistency and earnest effort.  
• Beautiful - The foliage of the palm grows not near the ground where it can easily be soiled and lost but high up where lower things can't damage or destroy it. 
• Elasticity -  The fiber of the palm is so elastic that even when loaded with considerable weights, it still grows determinately upwards.  We may have much to depress us and to hamper our growth, but if we "dwell in the house of the Lord", we will rise. 

Its ultimate triumph is -  it does not promise much at the beginning, it is rough to the touch and enveloped in a dry bark, but above it is adorned with fruit.  So is the believer, despised below, beautiful above.  Down below hit with innumerable afflictions but on high it is expanded into a foliage of beautiful greenness.

This verse goes on to describe that we will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  These trees are stately, long-branched and durable.  They were used in building the temple and had firm roots. Cedars of Lebanon is known as the "king of trees".  Their roots are as deep as is their height upwards.  To grow spiritually and be planted in the house of God we will be rooted in His truth and His way of life.  We will grow as tall as we are rooted deep.  Lebanon represents whiteness and is used in reference to being white, purged and cleansed of sin.  These trees make excellent building material.  These trees are without knots and not liable to decay.  They are therefore used for building and adorning the temple and royal palaces.  

How tall can we grow spiritually? As deeply as our roots go into God's truth.  We become this type of material through obedience to God's law and government.  

We as God's people must be firmly rooted in a local body of believers and rooted in God's word.  This will keep us green and growing even in the midst of trying times.  This is what we must become; majestic, strong, grand, as tall as its roots are deep, so it is firmly planted in God's presence, white and purified and most importantly, always growing, always green, and always living - for eternity!  

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant...
1 Corinthians 12:1  

1 Corinthians goes on to describe those spiritual gifts.  Why are they important? Verse 2 tells us - You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however, you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 

In an hour when we are inundated with lies and deception from the very sources that should be giving us the truth, we need this gift to properly discern the voice we are hearing.  If there ever was an hour we need the gifts of the Spirit it is now.  

1 Corinthians 12:10 - to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  

The gift of discerning of spirits (distinguishing of spirits in some translations) provides perception into the spirit world - which includes the Holy Spirit, both good and evil angelic spirits, and individual human spirits.  It gives supernatural insight into the realm of spirits.  The gift of discerning spirits is the God-given ability or enablement to recognize the identity of the spirits which are behind different manifestations or activities. 

We are seeing the rise in our nation of much perversion, immorality, and lies.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to discern good and evil.  If ever we needed to be sensitive to Holy Spirit to discern what is truth and what is a lie it is now.  In the area of compassion, much wisdom is needed.  Sometimes our greatest attribute is our greatest area of deception.  We are deeply compassionate about the plight of others but that is where the enemy works to draw our affections away from the truth.  Our compassion toward others must come from a place of being led by the Spirit of God and not by our emotions.  

The gift of discerning of spirits is greatly needed for the times in which we live.  Since not all supernatural activity comes from the Holy Spirit, sometimes it is hard to tell where it originates.  

                                "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God."
                                                               -1 John 4:1

We see different categories of discernment illustrated throughout the New Testament.  

• Discerning Holy Spirit - John the Baptist discerned the Holy Spirit when the Spirit descended upon Jesus from heaven like a dove at His baptism.  (Matthew 3:13-17) 
• Discerning Angels -  Scripture says that an angel appeared to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, "strengthening Him" (Luke 22:43)
• Discerning the Human Spirit - From afar, Jesus discerned a guileless spirit in Nathanael (John 1:47-48). John discerned a "spirit of faith" in a lame man in Lystra according to Acts 14:8-10. 
• Discerning Evil Spirits -  During His earthly ministry, Jesus discerned many evil spirits manifested in various forms (Luke 13:11-13).  Acts 16 reveals a story of a woman who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.  This girl followed Paul and Silas and cried out "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation".  Paul became greatly annoyed and through the discerning of spirits recognized an evil spirit in this lady and cast it out of her.  Today we would have become flattered by that but Paul recognized the evil spirit behind the flattery.  

The gift of discerning of spirits is not the gift of suspicion.  When we discern correctly we can use wisdom in how to deal with situations that arise.  As you can see, the gift of discerning of spirits has the potential to be explosive; therefore, it is crucial to use wisdom while exercising it.  In every situation let the wisdom of God guide us through by discerning the real spirit behind a situation. 

You can see how important it would be for us to embrace the gifts of the spirit and learn to walk in them as we move on this path of faith to reach the destiny that God has for us.  Without this gift in operation, the enemy can set traps that will derail us along the way.  Yes, have compassion for the plight of others but be sensitive to know when it is the Spirit of God leading you or the enemy setting a trap to get you off course.  We are not called to fight every battle.  Some are meant to wear you out so that there is no strength left to finish the race.  The enemy tries to bring disappointment to cause us to pull back and to give up.  Learn to discern through this gift the voice of the enemy and the voice of God.  

"My son, let them not depart from your eyes.  Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck.  Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble"
-Proverbs 3:21-23

After the death and resurrection of Jesus we hear about Saul who in his religious zeal began pursecuting the followers of Christ.  We know the story well, how Saul became Paul. Saul encountered the living Christ (Acts 9:4).  Like much of our lives we were "blind" to the love of God until Holy Spirit revealed the living Christ to us.  The religious structure of our day still denies the power of the cross to save, heal and prosper and are fighting against what is meant to set them free.  

Paul, by divine revelation received the mystery of this dispensation of Grace. Prior to Jesus' death we lived under the law.  Jesus came to fulfill that law through his death on the cross.  He paid all our debt in full that the law required for our sins.  We then entered into a time of His Grace.  Saul became a picture of that Grace.  Through unbelief he attacked the very thing that was about to set him free.  He was commissoned by the Lord to reveal this mystery to the church.  Paul through revelation began to reveal to the church this new dispensation of Grace.  God choose Paul to be an instrument of his grace so that Paul through this revelation could reveal it to his church.  

Ephesians 2:1 - And you He made alive, who were dead in trepasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His Grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith and that of yourself it is a gift of God. 

Paul begins in Ephesians by revealing to us what we have IN CHRIST.  He reveals the mystery that was revealed to Him and what Grace we now walk in because of the cross.  Ephesians was written to the church who was not walking in its authority and living far below its intended purpose.  Paul lays out in Ephesians 3 this mystery that was revealed.  What is that mystery? That through the cross God would bring together the Jew and the Gentile under the same promise.  That the cross reconciled that separation and made us one.  We became His body.  He restored the horizontal union between Jew & Gentile to create one new man...His Body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. The truth is revealed that the Jew & Gentile both are partakers of His promise In Christ.  This dispensation of grace gathered all things together in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.  

With all things being reconciled In Christ we now can preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make ALL see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden In Christ.  Here....God restored the vertical union between man and God.  That the purpose of His mystery was to bring together ONE new man (His Church) IN CHRIST revealing to the principalities and powers in heavenly places this mystery.  Through HIS church the manifold wisdom of God is on display to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.  Ephesians 2 tells us that we are seated IN CHRIST far above all principalities and powers.  It would seem that we have this GRACE message all wrong.  Paul clearly is telling us that the mystery revealed is the church IN CHRIST having all authority and that we are revealing the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers.  Colossians 2:15 tells us that Jesus on the cross disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them. That means through what Jesus did on the cross disarmed them...they no longer have any rule or reign. 

So the grace that Paul is talking about in Ephsians 3 is that we as HIS church have been reconciled as one IN CHRIST and are revealing that wisdom of God to bring all things together through Jesus and making that known to the principalities and powers that keep his church anemic, sick, and weak.  We have all the authority to tread upon that serpent that through deception is lying to the church that HE is still in control of this fallen world.  Sadly most of the church still operates under the thought that whatever happens is meant to be and we have no control because God is soveriegn and does whatever he wants.  WE as HIS church have all authoriity to rule and reign because we are seated IN CHRIST in heavenly places FAR above all principality, powers, might and dominion.  Wake up CHURCH!  We don't have to settle for sickness being from God.  We have been reconciled IN CHRIST! We now are seated in heavenly places having authority over sickness, disease, poverty and ALL the works of the enemy that the original fall created.  Stop allowing the enemy to steal, kill and destroy because we are ONE body revealing the manifold wisdom of God to these principalities and powers.  

Paul reveals the mystery of the complete restoration that took place through the cross.  Bringing together the Jew & Gentile under the same promise, reconciling His church back to the Father, and bringing His son and His church into complete union TO REVEAL this wisdom of God to principalities and powers..  What a beautiful picture of the restoration of ALL things In Christ.  

Paul then goes on to pray that we would all be strengthened and all may understand the love of Christ and what he did for us and that we might all be filled with the fullness of God.  Can you see what Christ truely did for us on the cross?  Yes, through faith we are saved and will enter into heaven when we die but it is so much more than that.  We are IN CHRIST...we are the fullness of God and we have ALL authority in this life NOW because we are seated IN CHRIST in heavenly places.  That means it is up to us to create on earth what is in heaven.  We pray that all the time.  The Lord's Prayer..."on earth as it is in heaven".  Do we really understand what we are praying?  We have the authority to execute the plan of God on this earth and take authority over that which tries to stand in its way.  It is all up to us.  We now can live again in that perfect garden because he took the keys away from the enemy that Eve gave away and now it is up to us to tend to that garden and keep the serpent out of what belongs to US.  God's GRACE was that even when we were sinners he sent his son to die on the cross to redeem us back to the Father and give us our positional place of authority back in the garden.  

That is the message of salvation.  Not just that we go to heaven...but what Jesus did reconciles us back to the Father's original plan and purpose.  Jesus wants the reward of his suffering.  He died to redeem all mankind.  We as HIS church need to see what we walk in so that we can set other's free.  We need to reconcile all of God's children back into the body of Christ...back into fellowship with the Father.  We now have the ministry of reconcilitation (2 Corinthians 5:18).  Restoring all things back to the Father.  

Saul was persecuting the true followers of Christ because he lived under the old order (the law).  It is no different today when religion keeps people in darkness because they live under a law and that law has a curse attached to it that allows people to suffer sickness, disease and poverty because they do not understand the power of the blood to redeem.  We need to see Saul (religion) transformed into Paul where the light of revelation of the true gospel of Jesus Christ breaks through the lies and deception so we can see the "true Jesus".  We as his church must represent the true Jesus not our religious Jesus.  It is time for the light of the "revelation" to come.  

Then God said "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.  Genesis 1:26

Sometimes when things look completely out of control it is good to remind ourselves of God's original intent and purpose for his people.  If you don't understand the book of Genesis you will never understand the victory that is ours and all that God intended for us to have dominion over.  In the beginning, GOD CREATED A PERFECT GARDEN!, he then created man to have dominion over that garden.  God gave authority to Adam to tend the garden. (Genesis 2:15 - Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it).  God gave specific instructions to Adam and told him he could freely eat of everything in the garden except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:16 -  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.").  That is some pretty specific instructions.  We know the story well...we teach it to our children in Sunday School.  It has become a very well versed story in the bible..  However, it is so significant to our understanding of the heart of God and his creation.  

We have gotten away from the simplicity of the gospel message.  We have listened to those who reason with their minds and intellect to create a powerless church who has no authority and has to accept whatever is handed to us.  This is a lie!  Go back to the beginning and see what God's intent was for his people.  We understand that Eve became deceived by the very thing that she had authority over.  Eve knew the command of God and Eve had a choice to obey the command of God.  She, however, chose to reason with the enemy and through disobedience death entered.  Through that act of disobedience Eve literally took the keys of authority that had been given to them by God to rule and reign in HIS garden and gave that authority to the Devil.  The whole bible is a story of redemption.  Where God set in motion a whole series of events to redeem that authority back to God's people. (Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandements, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.)

The death and destruction that came through that fall has affected God's people for generations.  Sickness, disease, poverty, death has reigned because of a simple act of disobedience.  God in his great mercy and grace created a way for us to be redeemed from that curse that took place in the garden.  Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with the Father.  We see after their act of disobedience they became afraid of God's voice.  (Genesis 3:10 - So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid").  What was a voice of love and comfort became a voice of fear.  Disobedience causes us to fear.  Once we have opened the door to fear...we run from the voice of God.  The voice of the Father who is calling us back to himself.  It is interesting God's response to Adam.  "Who told you you were naked?" Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?".  

We listen to the voices around us that through their intellect and wisdom we think we hear the voice of God.  Religion is a voice that speaks from a place that does not hear the voice of God anymore.  Adam had a relationship with the Father and when he disobeyed he ran from that voice and hid.  God dealt first with the enemy that deceived them.  He then through justice rendered the punishment for their sin.  Eve listened to the voice of the enemy and he deceived her...Adam listened to the voice of Eve and was deceived.  One simple command from the Lord and they did not listen to HIS voice but the voice of the enemy.   Sometimes the voice of the enemy will come through those we love the most.  It matters who you listen to and who you hear.  

God through his justice had to render punishment for that sin.  However, in his grace and mercy he prepared a way for redemption.  The garden was no longer in the possession of his creation.  The enemy had gained the keys and became the God of this world.  According to the law, blood was required for the forgiveness of sin.  (Leviticus 17:11 - For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the alter to make atonement for your soul; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.)

We may never know the cost of our disobedience.  God's voice speaks but we listen to the voices of those around us and it leads to sin.  

Jesus became the second Adam and through his substitutionary sacrifice forever took our sins and bore them on the cross.  His BLOOD paid the price and bought redemption for our sins.  He then went to hell and took back the keys of death and restored the authority back to God's people.  WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE KEYS AGAIN!  We now have the authority given back to us to rule and reign in this life.  However, religion continues to blind the hearts and minds of people and convince them that sickness, disease, death are all part of life and that somehow it is our lot in life to suffer.  JESUS PAID IT ALL!  We no longer have to bare the burden of the curse that came upon the land through Adam & Eve's disobedience.  Jesus becoming the second ADAM redeemed us from the curse of the law!  That included HEALING, PROSPERITY, AND SALVATION!   The bible clearly tells us there is one way to access all that Jesus did on the cross for us...simply believe.  We access those promises through faith.  Interesting to me is people get upset when you tell them it takes faith because we don't want to accept any responsibility in our life for our choices.  We want to believe that God is sovereign and does whatever he wants and we just go along with it.  That is a lie and we do have a responsibility to respond to what Jesus paid for us.  When you are saved...it took faith to respond to what Jesus did on the cross and receive that salvation.  It is no different with healing and prosperity.  Don't be the voice of unbelief in the life of someone who needs to hear what Jesus paid for them, so they might LIVE! 

Religion will keep you believing that only salvation is available through the cross.  Denying the power of the blood to set everything right in your life.  Salvation is the first step to receiving the Kingdom of God. Jesus died...took back the keys and sat down at the right hand of the Father and according to Ephesians Paul says we were seated with him, In Christ. His blood fully redeeming us from the curse (Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree,").  By HIS stripes we are HEALED.  (Isaiah 53:4 - Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our inquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.)  But we say God can heal whom he wants and whom he does not want?  Could that be the voice of the enemy and not God?  He never said some would receive salvation and some would not, that it was entirely up to his sovereignty on whom he saved and whom he chose not to.  NO, he said all who come to him and believe in HIM are saved.  Well if the cross was threefold: salvation, healing, and prosperity...then ALL who come to Jesus and believe in his blood to save also will be healed and prosper.  The lie of religion to say that only the cross can save but then tell someone that God may not heal them because they have a cross to bear is a LIE.  When Jesus said "take up your cross and follow me", he did not say become sick and follow me.  Jesus did not die of any disease...he died taking our sins upon him and he willingly laid his life down for us.  He took those stripies upon his back for every disease known to man. He healed it ALL at the cross.  

When we deny the power of the blood that was shed on the cross to HEAL then we are crucifying him all over again because we say that what he did was not good enough for us to be healed so therefore we say the cross did not do anything for us but bring salvation.  Can you see the LIE of religion?  It completely makes void the power of the blood to heal.  We do not have to accept dead dry religion that is void of any power to change humanity. Through Jesus we have been given the authority once again over ALL the works of the enemy. Sickness and diease is a work of the enemy and is a curse of the law that Jesus redeemed.  

Jesus simply tells us to believe.  Believe on HIM...believe in the blood that was shed...believe that he paid our debt in full.  Like Eve, we can hear the voice of the enemy and believe a lie and disobey the one commandment that was given by God  or we can believe in this Jesus and that he redeemed our life on the cross.  (Romans 10:9 -  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.)  

We have many voices vying for our attention.  There is only one voice that Adam heard until the serpent came to Eve.  She had a choice to obey and she choose not to. There is no arguement regarding healing and the blood.  Man's arguements are void of scripture because there is none to support that.  We have taken away the fight of faith and replaced it with dead dry religion that comforts us in our disbelief and is void of any power to change a life.  

We fight the good fight of FAITH!  We have the authority given to us through the power of the blood to completely destroy every work of the enemy that is against the cross. Whose voice are you listening to?

And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land...Exodus: 8:22

God always preserved a people in the midst of trouble.  I love the story in Genesis when Joseph's brothers did him wrong and because of jealousy stripped him of his favor and sold him into captivity, only for Joseph to continually arise in favor and authority.  Through many years Joseph was being prepared to become the dream that he so carelessly shared with his brothers.  Then suddenly, while in prison where he had been for a number of years Joseph is brought out to stand before Pharoah because of the gift on his life.  You know the story...he is promoted to second highest in authority in the land because through a dream and the gift of interpreting the Pharoah's dream, Joseph found favor and the wisdom of God that was operating in his life made a path for Joseph to bring deliverance to God's people in a time of famine.  

What a beautiful story of God's restoring power for his people in times of famine.  God always preserves a people. When Joseph brought his family into the land of Egpyt he brought them to the best of the land...Goshen. There the children of Isreal multiplied.  Goshen became a place where they could increase, they were provided for with the best of the land.  After many years a new Pharoah arose that did not know Joseph and he was threatened by the Hebrews because they had grown to where they were taking over the land.  From that day forward the Hebrew children came under bondage serving a wicked Pharoah that used them for his increase.  God heard their cries and remembered his covenent with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He is a  covenent keeping God.  So he raised up a deliverer (Moses) once again in the midst of hard times.  While Pharoah was trying to stop the Hebrew children from increasing in his land by killing all the sons...the Hebrew women guarded their life.  Moses was sent from among his own people to be raised by Pharoah's wife.  He grew up in the midst of the very Kingdom that was trying to destory his people.  

Even in the midst of that oppressive ruler God's people were living in the best of the land.  When the time came for Moses after much preparation in the wildneress to now be a voice that would lead God's people out of their oppression...God choose to show His mighty works among his people.  Pharoah's heart was in the hand of God.  He sent Moses to him and he told Moses that he would harden Pharoah's heart.  He sent plaques on the land but in that day he set apart the land of Goshen.  In the midst of the plaques Goshen was not touched because that is where God's people lived.  His desire was to show his people he was Lord in the midst of the land.  Pharoah did not control the people of God...God was in control and he showed that to them over and over again.  Proverbs 21:1 says...The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. 

God always preserves a people in the midst of the storms.  No government or oppressive environment can control God's people.  The children of Isreal lived in the best of the land and even when judgement came upon the land and Pharoah it did not touch the land of Goshen.  

Just as Joseph was sent beforehand to preserve a people, God made a way for us.  God sent his only son, Jesus, to die in our place so that we might have life and life more abundantly, (John 10:10). Jesus made a way to reconcile us to the Father through his sacrifice.  The blood of Jesus is our protection.  We are hidden under the shadow of the almighty...there is a place that we are kept that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, (Isaiah 54:17). You don't have to fear the terror by night nor the destruction at noonday...it shall not come near you.  

Psalm 91:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from their perilous prestilence.  He shall cover you with his fathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.  His truth shall be your shield and buckler.  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the prestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destructive that lays waste at noonday.  

The precious blood of Jesus...what can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  You don't have to live in fear of what might come...there is a defense far greater than any weapon of warfare and that is the blood of Jesus.  We live in the land of Goshen and our borders are protected...there is no lack...no famine...no fear.  

Genesis 2 gives us a picture of a perfect garden that man had been given dominion over. 

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.  And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil...Genesis 2:8-9

God created this perfect place that had all the provision man would need and then he formed man and gave him dominion over it.  We understand that Adam and Eve fell and that is where most people get stuck.  We see, however, such a beautiful picture of redemption as we understand that the first Adam fell and we lost dominion of that garden but the second Adam (Jesus) purchased it back through his sacrifice on the cross. Satan gained authority over that garden because Adam would not exercise his authority over what was entrusted to him.  The bible gives us such a beautiful picture of God restoring man back to the garden.  

And he showed me a pure river of water, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month...Revelation 22:1-2

Throughout the whole Bible is the story of how God's whole intent was to bring us back to the garden.  Through Jesus and his victory over sin and death he took the keys away from the serpent and gave us the path back to the garden where we have dominion.  What a beautiful picture of God's design and God's heart for our lives.  For most of us, we think we live in a sin filled world that is going to hell and there is no hope.  They look around them and see only dead religion, dry bones, a weak church, and poverty.  They blame the church, they blame the government or whatever they can -  but if we have dominion and we are not exercising that dominion over what has been entrusted to us then who is ruling and reigning? 

Gensis gives us a picture of the provision of God in our gardens.  Genesis 2:10 tells us that a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 

The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.  Pishon means full flowing.  The first river mentioned is a picture of prosperity in the life of a believer and their habitational place of authority.  We are to be blessed and prospering.  Out of us should flow the blessing to our regions.  These 4 rivers marked the boundaries of the land pledged to Abraham.  The "paradise" of Canann's land was given to Abraham and his descendants. Makes sense that God wants us to experience a full-flow of His presence and power in our lives that will flow to others.

The second river was called Gihon - which means bursting forth or gushing. This river became the primary water supply for Jerusalem.  It does not produce a steady flow, but gushes out at irregular intervals. If we move beyond full-flowing to bursting forth then the nature and character of God coming out of us is bound to influence and impact others also.  God does not want us merely living lives of survival or success, but to move beyond that and truly live lives of significance - not merely focusing on what we need or want for ourselves, but on what we can contribute to others. 

The third river is Hiddekel which means swift and darting (word picture of a swift arrow in flight). An arrow is first aimed at a target before it is released. Prayer is an arrow aimed at a particular target.  Being specific in prayer for a believer is important.  We are not to be aimless in our lives.  We are to be like swift arrows in flight. 

The fourth river is Euphrates which means fruitful (sweet water). If we have the first three rivers flowing in our life (fullness, overflow, and purpose) then it will result in us experiencing sweetness and fruitfulness.

We as believers have been given a garden.  This represents OUR families, OUR city, and OUR businesses.  This is a picture of the garden we should be establishing in our regions.  If your region does not look like this...than stop blaming the devil and begin declaring that these rivers are flowing from YOUR life into YOUR city and YOUR family.  Declare today that you are a full-flowing stream that becomes the water supply for YOUR city, YOUR family, and whatever place of dominion you have been given.  We are to create Eden in our lives.  God made the provision already established when he placed ME in the garden.  Through the Holy Spirit flowing through me I become those rivers that supply to my life and those around me.  We create "paradise" (Goshen).  I believe we can completely protect our cities from any harm and see those that are plundered released from their oppressor.  We can see our cities prospering during a famine. Adam thwarted the plan of God by relinquishing his authority to the serpent, but Jesus through his blood gave us that authority back.  He took the keys away from the serpent.  It is our responsibility to stand in that place of authority and to release the plan and purpose of God and to thwart the plan of the enemy in OUR cities, OUR families, and OUR finances.  There is not one more thing Jesus needs to do...he finished it!  Now we exercise that authority in our place of dominion to establish HIS kingdom rule.  

If you are not doing this then you are too focused on what the enemy is doing because you have not taken your rightful place of authority to see that change.  Quit blaming our government...quit blaming religion...quit blaming others.  It is time for us to arise in our God given authority over our regions and take back our garden and to see those rivers flowing through us to be healing to our regions. That stream flows from the throne of God through us to our families and our cities.  We will never see the change we desire in our regions if we won't take our rightful place in our gardens to see that change.  

Thank God he did not wind up the clock and leave us to figure it out...he gave us the blueprint to follow and placed us in the garden until we see it become God's creation through us.  

The Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy...Rev 19:10

Why is it so easy to accept the testimony of those that have died before us.  When faced with a death sentence it is so easy to relate to those that have died of the same disease as if..."well if they were such good people and died then it must be something we just need to accept".  All the while there are so many that have been healed and delivered.  I believe it is because of not knowing our identity in Christ; we don't walk in the forgiveness of what the cross did for us so we think we deserve it and that somehow we can't control what happens to us but we can go out with dignity.  

When a Pastor who stands up before his congregation and with COURAGE is facing death because of cancer begins to talk about how it is an honor to carry this cross he has to bear, my heart is so grieved because he does not understand what Jesus paid for him.  Jesus carried that cross, Jesus paid that penalty so we don't have to.  There is a misconception that suffering for Jesus is partaking of his suffering in death, but that is a lie.  The suffering we endure for Christ is as a result of preaching the gospel that leads to persecution not dying of a debiilitating disease.  It took no courage for that Pastor to face dying.  If he had known who he was in Christ he would have stood up before his congregation and declared he was the healed of the Lord because of what Jesus did on the cross.  The enemy is after this next generation.  That Pastor simply denied the cross in front of his congregation and what results from that is a body of unbelievers in the area of healing.  That body has been disabled from believing that God can heal and that the blood was shed for us to walk in complete victory and freedom from sickness and disease.  

The lie is that we somehow deserve it...when in fact Jesus died for our sins and the blood covers us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  Therefore, we stand before God sinless, righteous and the word says the prayer of a righteous man availath much (James 5:16).  We somehow relate more to the sin than the cross.  Jesus is not telling us to bear this cross and suffer for him by dying.  The word clearly says it is the enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy but that HE came to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).  Where is the suffering in that?  When we receive what the blood paid for us we no longer have to have that sin consciousness that somehow we deserve this.  

James 5:15,16 says - And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  The Wade translation says - And the prayer offered in faith will restore the sufferer to health, and the Lord will raise him from the sick bed.  

It is possible that we are so ignorant of the word that we simply don't undestand the power we carry.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit...Proverbs 18:21.  This indicates that what we say is what we have.  If you are talking death...then death you will have.  If you are talking healing...then healing you will have.  What you say will produce the fruit of what you are saying.  

Proverbs 13:22 - A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.

What motivates you? What do you wake up for every morning? What do you hope to accomplish before you die? These are all questions that you begin to ponder in your life as you get older.  Never has this been more clear to me than now.  We are all going to face death in our life...but when we look back over our life did we truely live!  People talk about bucket lists, what is that? It is supposed to be all the things you want to achieve before you die.  For most that list will look something like this:

• new car
• new house
• money in the bank
• trip to somewhere exotic
• success in business

If you were to ask me what my bucket list was...it would look something like this:

• pursue the heart of God
• live with passion and purpose
• see the sick healed
• see the dead raised
• preach the gospel
• know my money changed lives
• see my children living out their destiny in God

People spend their whole life preparing for retirement and in the end miss what their life was really all about.  Will your children rise up and call you blessed?  Will you have invested in the next generations dreams?  Will my children know that I spent years guarding and preserving their lives in prayer to see them walk in all that God has called them to do?  Yes...they saw me more than once give everything away to pursue what was on my heart.  In the end I will have said I invested in the next generation through prayer, support, and giving and living out the purpose and plan of God in this life so they can carry that on in their life.  

In order to invest in their life I first must walk in the fullness of my inheritance through Christ.  I have nothing to give them if I have not pursued the most important thing. Money won't do it, cars won't do it, trips won't do it...but the anointing upon my life and the inheritance I have obtained in Christ will be what carries on through the generations.  My legacy will be that I walked with God and pursued what was on HIS heart for me so that my children could walk in that inheritance.  

I realize retirement accounts are important, houses are important, but in light of eternity they mean nothing. You can't take them with you. We need to invest in eternity while here on earth.  We need to develop our relationship with the most important person in our life...Jesus.  He gave his life for us and left us an inheritance to walk in.  That inheritance was health, prosperity, and salvation.  First, you must lay your life down...pursue the heart of God and walk in that full inheritance.  That is something tangible you can leave the next generation.  Prepare as much for eternity as you do for retirement. Our vision in our life should be so BIG that it takes generations behind us to see its fulfillment.  Is your vision to only own possessions and have a large retirement you may not even be able to enjoy? That is not life and that is not really living.  Leave a legacy for the next generation to follow - invest in your children's lives by living out your destiny in Christ so they have something to follow.  They won't understand at first but if you keep pursuing the heart of God you will see the natural fruit of that relationship is producing something in your children.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).  Nothing is wasted by pursuing God with your whole heart.  God promises us that we will have life and life more abundantly.  Living your life for God will bring you the greatest joy and peace in this life.  The end result will be a life well lived and a life for the next generation to follow.  

As Christians we win...whether on this earth or in heaven we don't lose in death.  We win!  For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain...Phillipians 1:21.  

In times of transition one thing becomes very important.  We remain obedient to the voice of God and hear his instruction on advancing forth.  I love the story of Joshua and the lessons we learn from that book of the bible.  Joshua was leading the people of Israel through a transition from coming out of the wilderness and stepping into the promised land.  We know the story well...how he was very obedient to listen to the Lord for instructions and then obeying those instructions.  When Joshua brought the children of Isreal across the Jordan River they camped at a place called "Gilgal".  Gilgal represents a rolling away of the reproach of Egypt.  In order to advance into victory they needed to be healed from their bondage.  You can come out of something but that experience can still be IN you, and as a result cause you to be defeated in the face of your enemy.  Joshua was instructed to consecrate the children of Israel and they were to stay in Gilgal until they had completely been healed.  

You can't advance into the promises of God until you allow God to cut away those areas that have been infected.  Family issues, sin, reproach...those issues of life need to be completely healed by the blood of Jesus so you can boldly advance into the promise of God.  What keeps you defeated? What has a hold on you? Those foxes in our lives that everytime you begin to advance abort the process.  

Under the leadership of Joshua the children of Isreal allowed the consecration process and Joshua received specific instructions on advancing.  He was told that Jericho was given into their hands and all they needed to do was march around it seven times and then to shout and the wall will come down.  Then they were specifically told that the silver and gold belonged in the house of God and they were to take no spoils from Jericho.  They gained a great victory and advanced from Jericho to Ai.  However one man did not listen to the instruction of Joshua and took something from Jericho.  As a result of that sin the children of Israel suffered a great defeat in Aichen.  When we live in community and what we do affects the outcome to all involved.  Your sin is not just contained to you...it affects your family, your church, your employer.  We are in community and together we are advancing in a common vision.  Sin is like a cancer.  If not dealt with in the confines of family or community it will give the enemy a foothold and that cancer will spread infecting and ultimately stopping the advancement.  

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.  Proverbs 12:25

"I can't sleep", " my mind won't stop racing"," I feel like I am going crazy".  Does this sound like your world?  Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression.  Anxiety has a voice and it speaks loud, distorting and confusing your world.  When anxiety is present it is the most horrible feeling because you can't control the things going on around you. When anxiety is present the problems around you are magnified and you begin to believe they are controlling your world and you are out of control. The natural response is to try to control your world; for some through repetition such as hand washing, obsessive compulsive traits, for others it is drugs and alcohol and others, medication.  There is no peace...all you want is some peace.  This is why depression comes...that sense that you can't control this and your life is over.  Suicide becomes a thought that begins to take root, all you want is some peace. 

For many years I dealt with this problem in my life.  I grew up in a very chaotic household.  I had a mother who would fly into a rage at the drop of a hat.  That rage usually was directed toward me.  She is a beautiful woman but had been tormented her whole life and never developed coping skills to deal with all the stresses of life.  When she began to have her own children we learned the same coping skills that she had learned throughout her life. For many medication seems to be the only thing that can temper the anxiety that arises as a result.  I tried desperately to control my world.  

This might sound elementary in its approach but it is the life changing principle for anxiety. For the Christian anxiety is something that we have the antedote for.  Anxiety is rooted in FEAR.  FEAR is a spirit.  It has torment and it is meant to keep you in bondage.  The bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind. If FEAR is the root cause of anxiety and anxiety leads to depression then we must understand that it is a spirit that keeps you bound.  

The first step to overcoming anxiety is to realize it is rooted in fear and to begin to take steps by building your spirit stronger.  Feed upon the word of God, listen to teaching about faith and pray.  Basic Christian disciplines daily. Learn what the blood of Jesus did for you.  We have been given all authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions.  We are seated in Christ in heavenly places FAR ABOVE ALL PRINCIPALITY, POWERS, MIGHT, AND DOMINIONS (Eph 1:21).  We rule and reign in this life by one Christ Jesus (Romans 5:17).  Without really understanding what the blood of Jesus paid for us we will never really walk in the power to overcome FEAR.  You can be free from anxiety and fear. The blood of Jesus has set you free; take your authority over that tormenting spirit and stop agreeing with the voices that are talking to you that are contrary to what the blood purchased.  Where you now see fear all around you...you will begin to see things through the eyes of peace.  It is amazing to me how beautiful this world is around us through the eyes of peace and how fear has torment.  No matter where we are at we see life through the lense of anxiety and fear and life is distorted.  Begin to agree with what the blood of Jesus did for you.  Proverbs 12:14 says "A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth".  Your words matter.  What you agree with matters.  Oh...how the enemy hates it when he is found out and you begin to agree with who you are in Christ and what he paid for you rather then believing the lie that your life is over and you can't get free.  It is a lie from the pit of hell.  It does not matter what you have gone through in your life...the blood covers that and you are FREE from its torment.  No amount of "counseling" can do that.  You can spend years receiving counseling and going back and hashing over the wrongful things done to you in your childhood or you can begin to arise in who you are in Christ through the precious blood of Jesus and begin seeing those tormenting thoughts and memories be completely erased from your life.  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful...John 14:27

I pray for the spirit of revelation to come to you and begin to reveal the heart of the Father to you, for you to really SEE for the first time what the blood paid for you and for you to rise up in your authority that the blood gave you and tread upon those serpents and scorpions.  The only place they have in your life is the place you give them.  Agree with God's word over your life and see who you REALLY are...not what the enemy has convinced you through FEAR you are.  If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you will not walk in peace.  You need to understand that God the Father loved you so much he sent his son to die on the cross for you to give you this peace.  His blood was shed to give you the victory over this darkness and torment in your life. Repent, turn from your sins, receive what Christ did for you and you shall be saved. No medication can give you that peace...no amount of counseling can give you that peace.  Only Christ and His blood is the remedy.  

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a leader among them." Numbers 13:1-2  NKJV 

Moses had been leading the children of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years preparing them to take possession of the promised land that God had set aside for them to have.  We know the story well...what should have taken 40 days turned into 40 years because the people would not honor and listen to the one that God had chosen to lead them to the promise. They started complaining against Moses and God and began desiring to go back to their bondage because they did not trust that Moses was leading them correctly.  

At one point as the children of Israel were in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh, God told Moses to select twelve spies from among the people.  They must be leaders among the people.  Those spies were sent into the land of Canaan to spy out the land.  He instructed them to go a certain way and to see what the land is like, whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. He instructed these men to be of good courage and to bring back some fruit of the land.  In other words, go and give us an idea of how good the land is.  Bring back some fruit so the people can see how good and pleasant the land is for us to dwell in. So the spies went into the land to spy out its inhabitants. They returned with a cluster of grapes so huge they carried it between two of them on a pole. The report they gave was that it truly is a land flowing with milk and honey and look at the fruit and how plentiful it is...BUT we saw the descendants of Anak there.  Oh...there were giants in the land and we are not able to overcome those giants. We know that they reported what they COULD not do instead of the good in the land that was worth all the time they had spent preparing to enter their promised land. These were leaders among the people who could not see beyond their fear of the giants. They said that we are like grasshoppers in our sight. They took their eyes off of how BIG their God was and how faithful their God had been to deliver them from Egypt and to believe HIS promise that he was bringing them into a good land flowing with milk and honey.  As a result, the people became scared and refused to enter into the land. They all began to complain to Moses and Aaron and began wishing they had died in the wilderness and began asking why God had delivered them only to fall by the sword.  

Joshua and Caleb fell on their faces before the congregation.  They spoke to the children of Israel, saying, "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.  If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.  Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us". What a contrast from the other report that the other leaders had given. Two men full of faith saw the promise and began to try to tell the people of the goodness of the land. They tried to calm their fears and feed their faith with what THEY could see. 

With eyes of faith, these two men saw the promise and knew that God was well able to give them the land. They knew they could cooperate with God and that the favor of God was upon them to inherit this land and to drive out the inhabitants. The people believed a bad report from ten of their LEADERS cowered in fear. God became furious with the people and Moses interceded that God would not kill these people because of unbelief. Then God said "But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. 

We know that the Spirit of Faith was upon Joshua and Caleb. They saw the promise and believed that God would do what he said he would do...and the land would be given to them.  

How many times do we hear a promise from God either from His word or a prophetic word over our lives to grumble and complain that God is not able by his Spirit to accomplish what he spoke.  We operate in unbelief and complain to God all the reasons why we can't do what he spoke over us.  We look at the giants in our life and feel like grasshoppers in our eyes. We must arise as Caleb and declare boldly "Give Me My Mountain!".  This is not a time to cower in fear.  We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind".  We must arise as leaders in this hour to believe His promise is true and that he is well able to give us the land.  Let's do not allow another generation to pass because in our unbelief we did not think we could conquer the giants in the land.  No...this is not that you are unable to do anything in your region because they don't see what is on your life and use the excuse that even Jesus could not do any work in his hometown because of unbelief.  If you have the Spirit of the living God you have within you the power to defeat the giants in your life that have kept you hiding in your cave and it is time to believe God that we can possess our promise and step out and move boldly forward and take out those giants and TAKE BACK OUR LAND!  

I awoke in the middle of the night to my name being called.  I shrugged it off as me dreaming and "just hearing things".  I rolled over and went back to sleep but I looked at my phone and it was the midnight hour (Las Vegas time was 9).  To my horror, when I awoke in the morning I saw an alert on my phone of the terrible tragedy in Las Vegas. I immediately began to wonder if the intercessors had been praying and if anyone in that city knew their authority in Christ. Then I remember my name being called and I did not respond. What if my intercession had turned the tide?  What if God was calling me to take my place of authority over the works of the enemey and against this terror that was about to unfold in this nation?  I believe I missed an opportunity and ignored the Spirit. Thank God there is mercy and I am learning to hear the voice of God. I have not arrived yet and am always learning.  My heart grieves for those who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy...a tragedy that is meant to instilll fear in the heart of this nation and to keep us from living the life God intended us to live. 

Well...they won't win. Terror won't win. I am sure there were many there that night that may have had a prompting to not go but ignored that prompting.  We must become a people more sensitive to Holy Spirit so we can stay out of situations.  It is the enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy. There willl be many speculations regarding this situation.  People will use this as an opportunity to politicize it and try to make laws against guns, ect. The bottom line is this was the work of the enemy and we have authority over the enemy as Christians. We have authority in our cities and states and can exercise that authority to keep evil out.  One scripture I love is Proverbs 29:2 - When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.  

The old saying "not on my watch"...well when the people of God are taking their rightful place of authority in their habitational authority the people rejoice.  When the people of God who are operating in their God given authority in their cities...there will be peace.  Fear must be resisted as fear will open the door for the enemy to come in a greater measure.  We are not a people of fear and we reject fear.  Every day I take my positional place of authority in my region and exercise the God given authority I have as a believer In Christ and keep the enemy at bay in my city.  It is my place as a believer to stand guard and watch over my city, my family, and every place that God has entrusted to me.  

I want to leave this promise for Las Vegas that God just laid on my heart this morning.  Isaiah 54:11-15 - O storm-battered city, troubled and desolated!  I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.  I will make your towers of sparking rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones.  I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.  You will be secure under a government that is just and fair.  Your enemies will stay far away.  You will live in peace, and terror will not come near.  If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them.  Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.  

There was a time in my life where such a discontent came over me...everything seemed out of place and the passion in my life seemed to have disappeared.  I woke up every morning wondering if this is was all there was to my life.  Don't get me wrong...I love my life, my family, my career but there was something in me missing.  I did not understand that holy discontent I was feeling was there for a purpose. God had something more and in order to step into that MORE, I had to realize that all that I had done up to that point and all I thought was important to my life suddenly had no meaning.  Something in me was dying. I am once again at that place, only this time I recognize the work of God in my life.  That discontent caused me to question everything I am doing and everything I thought was important.  People are afraid to face this in their lives and when it begins to come they begin to look for something to fill that discontent they are feeling. They begin to turn to entertainment, sex, drugs, alcohol...whatever they think will suddenly bring that brief moment of satisfaction. Some pursue a new career and some sadly to say find it in a religious structure. 

People who love God can sometimes be the most deceived when that stirring begins to come that they are not satisfied. They begin to think that they have missed it or the Pastor has missed it. They begin to look for a new church or begin to fight against what God is doing because well....church is supposed to feel good. I am supposed to feel good when I leave church and if I don't feel good then something is wrong.  Perhaps we have missed God, perhaps there is sin in the camp.  OR...perhaps that discontent is God whispering that something is beginning to change and something is beginning to stir.  Perhaps he is speaking to your heart because he wants to awaken something in you that has been lying dormant. He is awakening your desire for more of HIS presence.  

Fourteen years ago when that emptiness was there and I could not find satisfaction in my life and felt lonely...God was really beginning to prepare my heart that it was time to awaken from my slumber.  Revival came and for the first time in my life something awakened in me and I found my purpose.  It ignited such a fire in me that nothing else mattered.  I spent every night in church for a year.  I had separated myself from everything that I thought filled my life with purpose. Everything was shaken and everything changed in that year.  My family thought I was crazy but they did not understand the depth of my dissatisfaction because the world really does not understand passion for the things of God.  Oh...they will sit with their cans of beer and their favorite sports on the TV in what appears to be a height of passion and ferver for something that means nothing in the end. We are passionate about something but in the end it does not really change our life for the better.  Some spend their lifetime thinking their success is what has made them happy only to realize when their health goes and their family is gone that money can't buy that back.  

I said all that to say...I am there again. I hear the sounds of revival on the horizon again. That dissatisfaction is welling up in me and I know there is more than what I am seeing now.  This time that dissatisfaction is not going to drive me to fill it with things that mean nothing and press into the only thing that can truely fill that heart desire and awaken in me once more that pursuit for HIS presence.  You won't find it in religion...you won't find it in the gym...you won't find it in relationships.  There is only one thing that can fill that dissatisfaction and that is HIS presence.  

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life....
Proverbs 13:12

Recently I had desire of my heart fulfilled that has taken years of preparation to see come to pass.  Somethings in life take years to see the fulfillment...others seem to come in an instant.  If you are carrying a dream in your heart and have not seen that dream fulfilled know that God sees that desire and is working things out on your behalf to see it fulfilled.   I just returned from a trip to Alaska.  We joined our Pastor and his wife and got to visit Kings Chapel Alaska in Wasilla.  This has been something I have carried in my heart for 10 years.  I have sown toward it...believed God for it...and waited.  

It started with revival 12 years ago.  Through divine connections God set us on a course and put a dream in my heart.  Through a series of dreams God began showing me his plan and purpose.  I began sowing toward that dream.  I did not realize the years it would take to see that dream become reality.  I kept pressing toward that dream.  

You never know the dream that people are carrying in their heart.  You may very well be the person that opens the door for that desire fulfilled.   Any dream you carry in your heart is worth the wait...keep going and never let anyone talk you out of that dream. Believe God place that dream in your heart for a purpose and through prayer and giving sow toward that dream.  

I am often reminded of the story of Joseph.  The favor of God was upon him and a dream was birthed in him.  God began showing Joseph through dreams his plan and purpose for Joseph.  Joseph in his zeal shared those dreams with his brother only to find instead of them supporting him they rejected and mocked him.  So much so they sold him into slavery.  Joseph's father had placed upon him a coat of many colors and his brother's stripped him of that favor.  Joseph faced 12 years of persecution and being thrown in prison, rejected and cast out.  The favor upon his life though was evidence and Joseph rose to places of influence and trust wherever he found himself.  Joseph did not get bitter with God or his family.  Through this process Joseph walked humbly before God and God suddenly promoted him to second in the land.  Joseph ended up saving a nation and the dreams in his heart became reality.  As a result of that dream Joseph saw the restoration of his family.  

Your dreams are not insignificant...they are meant to propel you forward and when everything seems to be coming against that dream you keep pressing on because there will come a day God will bring that dream to pass in your life.  He will send someone in your life who will help open that door to you.